Duck Houses

[chickenmama929]

Hi!
As some of you might know I might get 6 Khaki Campbells in three weeks. Sooooo I would like it if you guys could tell me about your duck coops/enclosures. I read that you need 6 square feet per bird. Is that true? I have a plan laid out on paper but I just want to see yours so I can see some ideas.
Thanks!
Kaylee

 

[416bigbore]

Hello, I would start by using the search forums option at top of the page, that should keep you quit busy, lots of great info and tips to be found there.

Maybe post a pic of your floor plans on paper and that way other members can have a better idea on what you are doing and then can chime in with more ideas to help you.

I posted a link below that will also give you some good food for thought to consider with your project.

IMO, the most important part of your build should be making it as predator proof as possible. Best of luck and please keep us posted on your build and pics of your new babies when you get them.

https://morningchores.com/duck-coop-considerations/

 

[Alaskan]

Where in the world do you live?

Ducks don't mind rain, but lots of snow or sun mean that a huge roofed area would be wonderful.

 

[chickenmama929]

California Riverside California.

 

[chickenmama929]

Hello, I would start by using the search forums option at top of the page, that should keep you quit busy, lots of great info and tips to be found there.

Maybe post a pic of your floor plans on paper and that way other members can have a better idea on what you are doing and then can chime in with more ideas to help you.

I posted a link below that will also give you some good food for thought to consider with your project.

IMO, the most important part of your build should be making it as predator proof as possible. Best of luck and please keep us posted on your build and pics of your new babies when you get them.

https://morningchores.com/duck-coop-considerations/

Thanks. It is a lot of help

 

[chickenmama929]

You know what I found out! the ducks do not even have a home. They sleep onder a chicken coop. I am going to use my desin. I am getting them next week. Thank you for all your help!

 

[LT71689]

I've seen as low as 4ft suggested, but when you CAN go bigger it's almost always better, so if you can go up to 6 or more I would. More space means they've got room to cool off when theyre too hot or feeling grumpy and want alone time, and it also helps spread the poop around so the bedding has a chance to dry out better. (and if theres ANY chance you get another duck or two later down the road, if you build bigger in the first place you wont have to make modifications later)

Besides space ducks have very few special needs. They dont roost and dont tend to care for nest boxes, so most duck coops are just big empty boxes. Good ventilation is a must as they're very wet and humid animals. Any vents or windows need to be predator-proofed with secure hardware cloth. And ducks arent great with ramps/steps so if you can put the coop on the ground or if it must be raised, keep it as low as you can.

Besides that, anything else you do with their coop is dependent more on YOU and your wants/needs than the ducks. You ideally want to build something that suits your schedule, your abilities, and your method of caring for them.

- do you want it tall enough for you to stand inside
- do you want a storage area for your gear (food, bedding, etc supplies) attached to the coop or do you want to keep that elsewhere
- do you want food and water to be available 24/7 inside the coop and if so what are you going to do to keep the bedding around the water dish dry, what type of feeder do you want to use, etc. Keep in mind anything you put inside the coop subtracts from the duck's space
- what kind of bedding do you want to use and how do you want to facilitate a full clean-out (some folks put a whole wall on hinges so they can open it up and push all the old bedding out, some have to shovel out, some do deep litter which requires a taller coop, etc)
- Do you care if it's "cute" or do you just want functional
- Will it have an attached run or will they free-range/use a tractor run

I've seen everything from childrens playhouses converted into the most basic of shelters to big sheds/mini barns that have coop, run, storage area, cleaning area complete with a sink, egg incubating station, etc.